sensor on dash

[fishin4]

Please forgive me if this is a real big waste of time. I have searched here and elsewhere with no answer, and the owners manual doesnt help me either. On the drivers side up near the windshield there is a sensor, is this for the headlights or what? in previous vehicles i've owned this was that sensors purpose, all that you had to do was have your lights on auto. However there is no such setting on my light selector. Everyday I drive thru a tunnel, my lights have never come on. please if you have any answers fill me in.
Thanks

 

[pat161]

Your 3rd gen does not have auto head lights so to speak. I will assume you either have a model previous to 00 or have disabled the DRL's as you would see those if you had them. What you can do is leave the headlights on all the time and when you open the drivers door with the key removed they will automatically turn off. If you have a Limited the sensor probably ties into the climate control, if not I have no idea.

 

[KellyJ]

Please forgive me if this is a real big waste of time. I have searched here and elsewhere with no answer, and the owners manual doesnt help me either. On the drivers side up near the windshield there is a sensor, is this for the headlights or what? in previous vehicles i've owned this was that sensors purpose, all that you had to do was have your lights on auto. However there is no such setting on my light selector. Everyday I drive thru a tunnel, my lights have never come on. please if you have any answers fill me in.
Thanks

It should be the transmitter for the Homelink buttons on your sun visor. 3rd generation's did not have auto sensing headlights - they just automatically shut off if you left the switch in the on position after parking and shutting off the engine and exiting the car

 

[Stick Figure]

If you have a Limited the sensor probably ties into the climate control, if not I have no idea. [/B]

exactly its the photo cell for the limted's auto climate control.

 

[fishin4]

Thankyou for your reply's, I can sleep now!

 

[Lyle Beach]

So which is it? The transmitter for the Homelink? or a photo cell for the limted's auto climate control? But what the heck could it possibly do for climate control? That doesn't seem right.

They always say a picture is worth a 1000 words, so:

 

[cfranck1]

It's called a Sun Load Sensor.

The (sun load sensor) measures the intensity of the light falling on it and adjusts the cooling load of the climate control to compensate for the suns heat.

When the cc is set to “Auto” the blower speed is changed continuously depending on the temperature setting, the amount of sunlight falling upon the sun load sensor, the outside temperature,etc...

 

[KellyJ]

It's called a Sun Load Sensor.

The (sun load sensor) measures the intensity of the light falling on it and adjusts the cooling load of the climate control to compensate for the suns heat.

When the cc is set to “Auto” the blower speed is changed continuously depending on the temperature setting, the amount of sunlight falling upon the sun load sensor, the outside temperature,etc...

Man you make that sound really really cool somehow hahah. I may keep my 4R after just reading this